Chevron outlines 55‑acre Carpinteria decommissioning plan, 2026 start targeted; council accepts presentation

Chevron USA Inc. gave the Carpinteria City Council a detailed overview of plans to decommission and remediate its 55‑acre Carpinteria oil and gas facility, saying the final environmental impact report (EIR) has been certified and that the company has submitted multiple, site‑specific plans for the city nd other agencies to review.

Mark Corte Nahabedian, Chevron—orporate affairs adviser for the West Coast decommissioning program, told the council on Oct. 27 that Chevron ssumed program responsibility in 2017, developed permit applications beginning in 2019 and submitted the principal permit application in 2021. He said the draft EIR was released for public comment in late 2023, the public comment period closed in January 2024, and the final EIR was certified in April 2025 after an administrative appeal process concluded Oct. 8.

Why it matters: The plan covers demolition of above‑ and below‑ground facilities, removal and testing of subsurface soils, transport of impacted materials off site and site restoration with native plantings. The facility sits inside the city and the scale of work — Chevron estimates two to three years of sustained activity once approvals are in place — will have traffic, noise, marine and biological implications for nearby neighborhoods and coastal resources.

Most important details

- Scope and schedule: Chevron described four broad phases — demolition, data collection, remediation (excavation of impacted soils and off‑site disposal) and final restoration/revegetation — and said preliminary scheduling shows work beginning in 2026 with about two to three years of activity in different parts of the site, noting that the schedule is preliminary and contingent on permits, biological timing windows, weather and other factors.

- Permitting and plans: Chevron said it has submitted roughly 37 discrete, detailed plans (stormwater, restoration, traffic management, monitoring, etc.) that the city will need to review and approve before major work begins.

- Offshore and nearshore pipeline removal: Chevron described removal of four pipeline bundles from the state/federal water boundary to the bluff and out to the three‑mile limit. Offshore work will use a barge (24/7 operations offshore) and either a reverse‑lay recovery or segmented lifts; onshore work will occur in the intertidal/shore crossing at low tide. Chevron said pipelines have been cleaned and flushed; in‑water cutting will occur under containment.

- Monitoring and mitigation: Chevron said fence‑line air‑quality monitors have been installed on the property—oundaries and sound monitors placed near the northwest and south edges; monitoring will establish baselines and continue during active work. The presenter said demolition material will be sorted for recycling where feasible and that trucks carrying soils will be tarped.

- Transport and traffic: Chevron described a defined haul route: Dump Road east to State Route 150, then Highway 101; the traffic management plan seeks to limit truck movements to daytime weekday hours and avoid through‑town routing. Chevron estimated 20–30 truckloads per day on average during the active phases of work.

Council and public questions

Council members asked about light and noise from the offshore barge, revegetation and monitoring plans, maintenance access, bluff stabilization and stormwater protections. Chevron said the barge will be visible from shore and lit, but it is not expected to come within 1,000 feet of the coast and company representatives told the council they are coordinating with SealWatch and federal agencies to limit impacts to marine mammals and maintain dark‑sky practices when feasible.

In response to questions on revegetation and stabilization, the company said a restoration plan (seed mixes, planting palette and multi‑year performance monitoring) is part of the submitted package and that restoration areas will have performance obligations. On stormwater, Chevron identified a submitted stormwater pollution protection plan (SWPPP/SWIP). On roads, Chevron said the traffic management plan obligates the company to repair damage as it occurs rather than to underwrite a single large resurfacing project in advance.

Public comment raised operational concerns unrelated to Chevron (residents reported recent crane and pigging operations near Pettus Point performed by other pipeline owners). City staff clarified that pigging and some purging activities at Pettus Point were performed by pipeline operators separate from Chevron and are part of the broader decommissioning footprint that will require separate permits.

Outcome and next steps

The council voted to receive and file the presentation. Chevron reiterated its commitment to community outreach, indicated it will maintain a 24‑hour community hotline (WCDProgram@chevron.com was shown), and said it will return to council with updates at key milestones and as additional plan approvals are requested.

Ending

Chevron—haracterized the program as multi‑agency and phased; council members and residents pressed the company on details of marine operations, site restoration commitments, road impacts and monitoring. City staff said they will continue to review the submitted plans and that many details will be finalized through the city nd permitting agencies pproval process.